Reply #23: two big differences (from Vietnam) may account for the lack of serious outrage . . . [View All]

[OneBlueSky]

the first is the media, and their inaccurate, incomplete, and misleading reporting of, well, everything . . . regarding the war, of particular importance is their general lack of coverage of the carnage in Iraq, especially in photos . . . during the Vietnam war, the evening news carried videos of pitched battles nearly every night, and photos and videos of American casualties were common -- and very disturbing . . .

the second is the draft . . . back in the 60s and 70s, every draft age male was at risk (unless you had connections or enough money to be a permanent student), and thus every American family had a very personal interest in what was happening in Vietnam . . . and as the casualties increased -- 20 thousand, 30 thousand, 40 thousand, 50 thousand -- the vast majority of those killed were draftees who didn't want to be there, but felt they were serving their country -- just as their fathers and grandfathers had done . . .

were either of these factors to change, I believe the outrage would multiply -- quickly and geometrically . . .